Student/Parent Handbook - Braintree Public Schools

Student Services
Counseling and Guidance Services
There are counselors in each house. Your counselor will be working with you
during your four years in high school.
We hope you will get to know your counselor well. He or she is available to help you
with:
• personal, social problems
• academic or other school-related problems
• choosing high school courses
• career counseling
• planning further education
• achievement, academic and ability testing, interest inventories and their
interpretation
We encourage you to sign up to see your counselor during any study. Parents are also
invited to contact and meet with counselors and to visit the Guidance Library.
Your counselor has reference materials pertaining to careers, military services, further
education and many other areas. Students wishing to use guidance services and/or see
their counselors during study periods must sign up for an appointment with their
guidance counselor and receive a signed corridor pass for the appointment.
Health Services
The school nurse is the primary coordinator of health services within the school
building and is on duty each day. Parents/guardians and students are
encouraged to see the nurse not only for specific health matters, but also in
connection with all matters relating to student health and welfare.
Students who become ill or have an accident during the school day must report to the
health office with a pass from the teacher. Accidents on school premises are treated
according to standard first-aid practices. Care beyond first-aid is the responsibility of the
parent/guardian. The nurse will notify the parent/guardian if further treatment is needed.
All accidents resulting in student injury will be reported to the House Office immediately
and the nurse will complete an accident report.
Students who need to use the health room during a class period must obtain a
permission slip from the classroom teacher, or if between periods, from the teacher of
the next class.
The nurse will record the student’s time of arrival and departure, as well as his/her
reason for the visit to the Health Room. Upon leaving the Health Room the student
should obtain a pass back to class. If a student misses an entire class block, the
student should obtain written proof from the nurse. Failure to follow this procedure could
result in a class cut. When a student is making excessive use of the Health Room, the
nurse will contact the home and the respective guidance counselor and Housemaster,
as needed.
Students with an emergency should report directly to the Health Office, with the
assistance of an adult.
Students reporting to the Health Office will be evaluated by the nurse, who will then
make a determination if the student should be dismissed home. Students may only be
dismissed from school after the nurse speaks with the parent/guardian. At the beginning
of each year, parents/guardians are asked to complete an emergency card listing both
home and work telephone numbers and the name and number of an authorized person
who can act on their behalf in case of an emergency and the parent cannot be reached.
Students who drive to school still need parent permission to be dismissed. The nurse
and parent will decide if the student is able to drive safely home.
A physician’s certificate is required for any student returning to school under the
following conditions: an illness of five days or longer, an operation, an accident, or any
restrictions of activity such as students with slings, casts or crutches.
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